Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
The women in this photograph are unidentified. Fortunately, the mount is stamped Clifton & Co., Bombay, indicating that the photo was taken at the studio founded in that city (Mumbai) by Harry Clifton Soundy (1863-1922). At first I assumed the woman sitting at left was wearing a County or Branch badge of the British Red... Continue Reading →
This post is a work in progress. At the time that I published it, I hadn't managed to identify any of the men in the photo. A resourceful reader in the UK, Michael, quickly identified two of them. The man seated in the middle of the second row is Frederic Thesiger, Viscount Chelmsford, who was... Continue Reading →
This postcard appears to show a group of international students at the University of Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Perhaps they were members of a club or student association? I was hoping to identify some of them, but so far no luck. A few are old enough to be graduate students, or possibly faculty... Continue Reading →
I had hoped to identify the dignified woman who sat for this portrait at the Bombay Photographic Company in the late 1890s or early 1900s, but so far I haven't had any luck. The photographer, S. Hormusji, is also a bit of a mystery, at least as far as online sources go. His first name... Continue Reading →
If only we knew her story! Alas, she isn't identified. Her carte-de-visite was made by John Bowles Newman, whose studio was at 5, Old Court House Street, Calcutta (Kolkata). The only information I found online about Mr. Newman was that he filed a petition of insolvency in 1879. It always makes me sad to read... Continue Reading →
This early carte-de-visite from India doesn't have the young woman's name on it, but it was listed for sale on eBay along with a few other photos from the same family, one of which had "Miss Collins" written on the back. The same young woman is in that photo, along with several young adults who... Continue Reading →
This 19th-century photograph was printed on very thin paper and glued to a stiffer paper mount. At some point the mount was trimmed to the dimensions of a postcard, possibly so that it would fit into an album. The back is blank. I bought it from a dealer in Suffolk, England, who couldn't tell me... Continue Reading →
A note on the back of this studio portrait says either "Harold Winnie" or "Harold & Winnie." While Winnie could be a last name, it's more likely the first name of the girl on the left, who must be Harold's sister. The studio is identified on the mat just below the image: Gordon & Blees. ... Continue Reading →
Tokens of Companionship 
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